Toy Gun

Abstract

A toy gun capable of squirting liquid and launching projectiles, the toy gun comprising or including a liquid squirting mechanism actuatable to expel liquid in a squirting manner, a projectile launching mechanism actuatable to launch a projectile, a trigger moveable between two limits, wherein movement of the trigger between its two limits can actuate both the liquid squirting mechanism and the projectile launching mechanism.

1 . A toy gun capable of squirting liquid and launching projectiles, the toy gun comprising or including:
 a liquid squirting mechanism actuatable to expel liquid in a squirting manner,   a projectile launching mechanism actuatable to launch a projectile,   a trigger moveable between two limits, wherein movement of the trigger between its two limits can actuate both the liquid squirting mechanism and the projectile launching mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The toy gun of  claim 1  wherein the trigger forms part of a trigger body, the trigger body comprising a liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion and a projectile launching mechanism trigger portion. 
     
     
         3 . The toy gun of  claim 2  wherein the trigger and the trigger body are unitary. 
     
     
         4 . The toy gun of  claim 3  wherein when the trigger is positioned at or proximate to the first of the two limits the projectile launching mechanism trigger portion can actuate the projectile launching mechanism. 
     
     
         5 . The toy gun of  claim 4  wherein as the trigger is moved substantially between the two limits the liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion actuates the liquid squirting mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The toy gun of  claim 5  wherein the liquid squirting mechanism includes a pump for drawing water from a reservoir and expelling it through a nozzle. 
     
     
         7 . The toy gun of  claim 6  wherein the pump is a piston pump, and wherein one stroke of the piston draws liquid into the pump from the reservoir and the other stroke of the piston expels liquid from the pump and out through the nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The toy gun of  claim 7  wherein an inlet check valve is located between the reservoir and the pump, and an outlet check valve is located between the pump and the nozzle, the inlet and outlet check valves ensuring liquid is only able to flow in one direction through the liquid squirting mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The toy gun of  claim 8  wherein the liquid squirting mechanism actuating portion includes a piston actuating member, and movement of the trigger between the two limits causes the piston actuating member to actuate the piston. 
     
     
         10 . The toy gun of  claim 9  wherein the piston is biased to return to a neutral position after it has been actuated by the piston actuating member. 
     
     
         11 . The toy gun of  claim 10  wherein the projectile launching mechanism includes a cylinder and a projectile mechanism piston. 
     
     
         12 . The toy gun of  claim 11  wherein the cylinder and projectile mechanism piston are configured to generate compressed air to launch a projectile. 
     
     
         13 . The toy gun of  claim 12  wherein the projectile mechanism piston is mounted to a cocking hammer, the cocking hammer being able to be move between a cocked position and an uncocked position. 
     
     
         14 . The toy gun of  claim 13  wherein the cocking hammer is biased to the uncocked position. 
     
     
         15 . The toy gun of  claim 14  wherein the cocking hammer can be urged to the cocked position by a user of the toy gun. 
     
     
         16 . The toy gun of  claim 15  wherein the cocking hammer and the trigger body can interact in a manner so that the trigger body can at least release the cocking hammer from its cocked position to allow it to travel to the uncocked position. 
     
     
         17 . The toy gun of  claim 16  wherein the interaction between the cocking hammer and the trigger body is via an intermediate release mechanism. 
     
     
         18 . The toy gun of  claim 17  wherein the intermediate release mechanism can hold the cocking hammer in its cocked position. 
     
     
         19 . The toy gun of  claim 18  wherein the intermediate release mechanism can be moved by the trigger body. 
     
     
         20 . The toy gun of  claim 19  wherein movement of the intermediate release mechanism by the trigger body occurs at or near the first limit of the two limits of the trigger body. 
     
     
         21 . The toy gun of  claim 20  wherein the intermediate release mechanism is a gate through which the cocking hammer can slide. 
     
     
         22 . The toy gun of  claim 21  wherein the cocking hammer has a locking step located thereon, and wherein sliding the cocking hammer sufficiently to its cocked position will result in the engagement of the locking step with the gate to hold the cocking hammer in the cocked position. 
     
     
         23 . The toy gun of  claim 22  wherein the gate is movable to release the locking step so that the cocking hammer can be released and urged to the uncocked position, thereby launching a projectile. 
     
     
         24 . The toy gun of  claim 23  wherein movement of the trigger between the two limits causes a gate release structure to move the gate to release a cocked cocking hammer from the gate. 
     
     
         25 . The toy gun of  claim 24  wherein the projectile is a dart.